10 Best Phones Under 15000 INR You Can Buy

Smartphones have hit a high note and the specifications that previously required tailor-made sleeves now fit into tight pockets. Fingerprint sensors, dual cameras, thin bezels, sufficient RAM, and enormous storages are now easily available, even if you are limited by a budget. And, this is what has inspired us to gather a list of the best smartphones under 15000 INR. Let’s go ahead and plug into the list of top performing smartphones based on your budget.

This article will highlight the key traits of each of the devices that it one of the best phones under 15000 INR and also let it shine out compared to other smartphones in the list, and the ones otherwise not included. So, let’s get rolling.

Best Phones Under 15000 INR

1. Redmi Note 5 Pro

Xiaomi has already shaken up the budget smartphone segment which is very lucid from the list and it sent tremors across the segment again recently by launching the Redmi Note 5 Pro, a device has appealed so many users that more than one lakh units got sold within a matter of second during the first sale.

The device, featuring a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display, is an excellent performer and the first one to use a Snapdragon 636 SoC. The chipset is hooked to 4GB of RAM which should allow you to breeze through normal and demanding tasks with equal dexterity. The back side bears a 12MP+5MP dual camera setup which is clearly “inspired” by one of the most popular and powerful flagship smartphones. This setup should click decent shots in low lighting and allow you to focus on foreground objects by blurring the background. For compulsive selfie-takers, the smartphone comes with a 20MP front-facing camera.

You get a 4,000mAh battery which is excellent in terms of backup and can be relied upon for lasting more than a day. Although the chipset supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0, you don’t get a fast charger in the box. You get 64GB of storage with the device which can be expanded up to 128GB using a microSD slot. Xiaomi has also promised a variant with 6GB RAM but that is yet to be released.

The Note 5 Pro runs MIUI 9 based on Nougat, but many users have already begun receiving an update to Oreo which will come very soon to remaining devices too. Plus, it recently got the Face Unlock feature, which works fairly well. We were simply blown away by the performance of the Redmi Note 5 Pro and you can read praises for the device in our detailed review.

2. Mi A1

The brainchild of Xiaomi’s companionship with Google, Xioami Mi A1 is one of the most popular smartphones sold by Xioami and naturally, one of the best smartphones under 15000 INR. Unlike other smartphones made by Xiaomi, the Mi A1 comes with stock Android and was one of the earliest phones by the company to receive an update Android Oreo. Despite its pocket-friendly pricing, the smartphone has an attractive appeal in terms of design. The Mi A1 features a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display, so you might miss an 18:9 design on this smartphone. It is powered by Snapdragon 625 coupled with a 4GB RAM.

On the back of the smartphone, alongside the fingerprint sensor, is a 12MP+12MP camera setup while the front-facing camera is 5MP. In terms of videography, the Mi A1 supports 4K video capture at 30fps. You get 64GB of storage on the smartphone that can be expanded up to 128GB by the means of a hybrid SIM slot. To meet the power demand, the Mi A1 gets a 3,080mAh battery which also received fast charging support with the Oreo update. Moreover, being a part of Android One program means that the smartphone will get updates for a longer duration than most competitors.

However, the last time we checked, the device is out of stock on Flipkart and you can head over to Xiaomi’s website to buy Mi A1.

3. Honor 9 Lite

With its striking glossy back, Honor 9 Lite is clearly one of the most beautiful devices available in the market. Compared to most devices in the segment, the Honor 9 Lite features a smaller display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, stretching across 5.65-inches and starring a Full HD+ resolution. This means that its screen offers crisper details than the one on Redmi Note 5 Pro and similarly sized smartphones. It comes with the same processor – Kirin 659 – as the other Honor phone on the list and the chipset fares better in comparison to chipsets like Snapdragon 625 and 630. The processor is paired with a 4GB RAM, while you can also choose a 3GB variant for a rebate of ₹4,000.

One of the biggest highlights of the smartphone is its dual-camera setups on both – the front (13MP+2MP) and the rear (13MP+2MP) – faces. This will allow users to snap selfies as accurately bokeh-ed as the shots captured using the rear camera. You sure are likely to click more selfies than usual and you can choose between 32GB and 64GB versions to suit your needs while you get the ability to expand the storage to up to 256GB using a microSD card, but the hybrid SIM slot might peeve you a bit. Android Oreo update has already reached the device. Meanwhile, the 3,000mAh battery should qualify for day-long stress and you also get Huawei’s Super Charge technology that allows quicker tanking up of the battery.

4. Redmi Note 5

Along with the Note 5 Pro, Xiaomi also pulled the wraps off the Redmi Note 5 which appears to be a truer successor to the Redmi Note 4 when you look at the design. The Note 5 comes with the same 5.99″ Full HD+ display as the Note 5 Pro. While the design on the front is pretty much the same, you can clearly differentiate between the two when you look at the back of the device. On the back rests a single 12-megapixel sensor along with the fingerprint. Another difference is that the Redmi Note 5 features a less-powered and older processor – Snapdragon 625.

The Redmi Note 5 also supports 4K video shooting, a feature which is locked away on the Note 5 Pro despite being supported by Snapdragon 636. A slight less powerful processor translates to a longer battery backup despite the same 4,000mAh battery on both devices. Just like the Redmi Note 5 Pro, you get 4GB of RAM united with 64GB of storage. But, in case you’re on a lookout for a slightly cheaper variant, you can opt for the 32GB storage variant which comes with 3GB of RAM. The device runs MIUI 9 on top of Android 7.1.2 and we can expect the Oreo update to arrive with the Note 5 Pro.

5. Moto G5s Plus

Launched last year, the Moto G5s Plus is part of the plastic-to-metal evolution of Moto devices – a trend which is expected to continue with the Moto G6 lineup. It succeeded the Moto G5 Plus in less than six months, so it is likely that Moto had the urge of fixing something troubling. The smartphone comes with a Full HD 5.5-inch IPS LCD display protected by Gorilla Glass 3’s. On the software front, it comes with near-stock Android Nougat ver. 7.1 with Moto apps. The company has already begun rolling out an update to Oreo in certain markets so you can expect the G5s to get a chocolaty flavor very soon.

The mono speaker is decent enough to complement gaming, movies, and music. When it comes to performance, the smartphone is equipped with a Snapdragon 625 processor paired with 4GB of RAM, so most apps and medium-graphics games will run without any stuttering or lag. You get 64GB of storage which can be expanded up to 128GB and you get dedicated slots so you don’t have to choose between a microSD card and secondary SIM. The 3,000mAh non-removable battery is good enough to drive you through the day while the company’s TurboPower technology should be able to give you enough charge in just a few minutes of being plugged in. The 13MP+13MP dual camera should be good enough for capturing memories while the 8MP front camera is capable of wide-angle selfies. With the Moto G5s Plus, you also get the ability to shoot 4K videos, so overall, this is a very compelling deal.

In case, you can trade-off dual camera for a front-facing flash, you can also check out the Moto G5s which will also cost you much less than the G5s Plus (Amazon:₹11,909).

6. Redmi Y1

With the Redmi Y1, Xiaomi introduced a new range dedicated to the youth and evidently one of the most appealing features of the Y1 is its selfie sensor. Xiaomi offers a 16-megapixel camera on the front along with a flash while the device features Beatify 3.0 mode for enhancing selfies. The selfie camera is complemented by a 13-megapixel shooter on the back. The Redmi Y1 bears a 5.5-inch HD screen and runs MIUI 9 based on Android Nougat 7.1.2. A Qualcomm 435 takes charge of the performance along with a 4GB RAM. 64GB of internal storage is what you get with the device and it is expandable up to 128 with the help of the non-hybrid slot, so you can continue using two SIMs while upgrading the storage.

There is a 3080mAh battery feeding the device’s circuits which should last longer than a day, especially because of the 720p display and MIUI 9’s power management features. You can also use the Redmi Y1 as a universal remote as it features an IR blaster, which no other smartphone manufacturer pays enough attention to add. We have also mentioned all features of MIUI 9 available on the Redmi Y1 in a review along with our opinion about why it is a killer device for the price. You can also get a variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage if you’re short on budget.

7. Honor 7X

Iterated over the last year’s Honor 6X, the Honor 7X comes with a slightly powerful processor – Kirin 659 – and a 5.99-inch 18:9 display with a Full HD+ resolution. One slight disappointment with the smartphone is that it lacks any sort of protection over the screen, but that appears to be Honor’s measure for prioritizing resources and a beneficiary of the conservative designing is the excellent dual camera – one naturally uses screen protectors. The 16MP+2MP snapper captures bokeh shots very well. The device comes with 4GB RAM and two storage options – 32GB and 64GB – to choose from and you can expand it up to 256GB but you’ll have to deal with a hybrid SIM slot.

With the Honor 7X, you get Huawei’s custom ROM EMUI based on Android Nougat but from my own experience of being an Honor user, the rollout of updates is slow. So if you want Oreo right out-of-the-box or without waiting much, the device would be deal-breaker for you. Although the 7X doesn’t support fast-charging, the backup of the 3340mAh battery is surprisingly good. Moreover, the bright display is one of the most alluring features on the 7X and you get some custom features like Wi-Fi bridge which allows you to extend your Wi-Fi connection just like a hotspot.

8. Xiaomi Mi Max 2

The Mi Max 2 is a superb choice for anyone looking for a larger footprint in terms of both battery and screen size. This is because the Mi Max 2 features a 6.44-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1080p along with a gigantic 5,300mAh battery. Another feature that makes the phablet an intriguing option is its full-metal casing that can bear with shocks and dings easily. Mi Max 2 is powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor so you can subject the smartphone to laborious tasks and games without doubting its abilities. It runs MIUI 9 based on Android Nougat and despite using an older OS version, the level of optimization in MIUI won’t let you miss any feature in Android Oreo.

The Mi Max 2 comes with 4GB RAM and you can opt between 32GB and 64GB as your choice of storage size. In terms of the camera, the phablet is armed with a 12-megapixel shooter at the back while there is a 5-megapixel snapper on the front. Another appealing feature of the Mi Max 2 is its stereo speakers which intensify your movie-watching or gaming experience.

Xiaomi is also expected to be working on an upgrade and rumors hint that the Redmi Mi Max 3 will come with an 18:9 display, a bigger 5,500mAh battery, dual cameras and USB-C port.

9. Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie

Designed with special attention to selfies, as clear from the name, the Asus Zenfone 4 Selfie features a compelling camera setup on the front. It carries a combination of 20MP+8MP on the front along with a soft-LED flash to steer away from your troubles with low-light self-photography. The front camera allows you to capture super-wide selfies with a span of up to 120° so accommodating a bus-full of people in a single selfie shouldn’t be a problem. On the rear, you get a 16MP shooter with a flash with PixelMaster technology for enhanced details. The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 430 processor which is paired with 4GB of RAM. In terms of storage, you get 64GB onboard that can be expanded up to a massive 2TB.

Viewing the high-quality images might not satisfy everyone as the Zenfone 4 Selfie has a 5.5-inch display which has a 720p resolution. But, an upside of the low resolution is that it allows the 3,000mAh battery to last over a day easily despite rigorous selfie exercise. You get ZenUI based on Android Nougat as the default interface which comes with some bloatware that you can get rid of.

Asus has also announced the latest range of devices i.e. Asus Zenfone 5 Series comprising ZenFone 5Z, ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 5 Lite at MWC 2018 but its arrival in India might be a few months away.

10. Nokia 6 (2017)

Despite being a year old, the Nokia 6 still is a strong contender among the best smartphones under 15000 INR. This is primarily because of its stock interface and Nokia’s commitment to roll out updates frequently. The smartphone recently received Android Oreo. The Nokia 6 bears a 5.5-inch Full HD screen which is bright enough for readability in sunlight and is covered by Gorilla Glass. The smartphone draws its performance abilities from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC while 3GB RAM takes care of multitasking. You get 32GB of onboard storage, complemented by a dedicated slot for microSD that supports cards up to 128GB.

The Nokia 6 comes with an f/2 16-megapixel camera which is augmented by a dual-tone LED flash. On the front of the device, you get an 8-megapixel shooter which can capture wide-angle selfies up to 84°. The 3,000mAh battery is decent enough to last a day, although you don’t get fast charging with the device. In spite of average specifications, the Nokia 6 dons the physical features of a premium device and can be your partner in flaunting. There is a 4GB version available as well featuring 64GB of storage, but it digs deeper into your pocket.

Nokia has also announced an upgrade to the Nokia 6 which is affiliated with Google’s Android One program, but you might have to wait until May to be able to buy it in India. The Nokia 6 (2018) packs in a more powerful processor and has much more striking looks than the last year’s version.

Which are the Best Phones Under 15000 INR According to You?

Within this price range, we get a plethora of options, mostly dominated by the dual camera, or selfie-focused offerings. We’ve given an honest effort to listing the top devices which can fall under the list of best smartphones under 15000 INR based on not just the two characteristics but also features like availability of Hybrid SIM slot, chances of getting Android Oreo, fast charging, and custom Android skin.

In case, you feel that we’ve missed out on a device or want us to write about devices in other price ranges, hit us up in the comments section below and we will follow your command.

Hi Ritesh,
One of the troubling points about Honor 8 is that it still runs on Marshmallow (EMUI 4.1) and Honor is terribly slow with updates. If that doesn’t bother you, then it’s a good option for the price! 🙂

Hi Sandeep,
Oppo A83 is great as for selfies. You can consider it if you. I personally like the lightweight of Oppo phones but that is achieved by using plastic. The UI is great too but you don’t usually get updates with Oppo. In case your prime usage is selfies, you can choose A83 or F3 which has dual front camera.

Hi Suleman! Personally not a big fan of Nubia phones. Despite the beautiful build, the smartphones are usually bulky and heat up a lot. More importantly, the ones I have fiddled with had average cameras, with very poor performance in low light.
Do you have a Nubia device you’ve using lately? Would love to know! 🙂